Mark Henry Blanchard, a resident of Tupelo, Oklahoma, was arrested and charged with five counts of larceny of a domestic animal after stealing cattle and selling them at local livestock auctions for profit.
The arrest comes after an investigation led by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Cody Hyde and the Coal County Sheriff’s Office looking into a possible cattle theft in Coal County after the victim reported his cattle missing.
After running a sale history at the auction, Hyde discovered Blanchard, an employee of the victim, sold cattle each time the victim sold cattle. The checks written to Blanchard after the sale aligned with the missing livestock owned by the victim.
Over the course of the investigation, Blanchard was questioned about the suspicious activity.
Blanchard ultimately confessed to unlawfully taking possession of four steers and one bull from a rural property located southwest of Tupelo and selling them without the owner’s knowledge over a period from January 2023 to March 2024.
Following his confession, Hyde arrested and booked Blanchard in the Coal County jail May 21, 2024.
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association thanks the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Coal County Sheriff’s Department and Coal County District Attorney’s Office for their joint efforts throughout the investigation.
